Warrick Plan Commission OKs building apartments near middle school

Proposal now advances to county commissioners

BOONVILLE, Ind. - The Warrick County Area Plan Commission gave its approval Monday evening to a 208-unit apartment complex proposed to be built directly in front of Castle North Middle School.

The commission by a 5-1 vote approved the plans despite some strong public objection. Plan commission members were advised they had no grounds for rejecting the developer's request since it met all legal requirements.

Parents in the middle school district packed the meeting room to express concerns over everything from firearms to dog droppings. They also said the traffic study presented by developer K&E Multifamily, LLC didn't take into account known traffic problems along Indiana 261 and Oak Grove Road during the morning commute time.

The zoning change simply combines eight existing parcels of property into two, allowing the complex to be built with easier access and more green space. The commission's vote serves only as a recommendation to the Warrick County Board of Commissioners, which must grant final approval.

The land is already zoned C-1 Commercial, meaning even if the change is eventually rejected, apartments can still be built on the land in a different configuration. Attorney Les Shively, speaking for the developer, said that K&E Multifamily will absolutely proceed with apartments on the property one way or the other.

"When this body (Area Plan Commission) and the board of commissioners, in 2002, rezoned this land to C-1, that effectively was an approval not only for the commercial uses of C-1 but also multifamily," Shively said. "That decision has been made and remains of record."

Attorney Rick Martin spoke for many of the parents. He said just because it was legal to build apartments on the property didn't make it the right thing to do. His remarks were given a standing ovation by many in the audience.

"We are not opposed to apartments, and we are not opposed to them being put up in this school district," said Martin. "Obviously, the schools can adapt and handle that. Our concern is based on safety, based on traffic and based on it not being consistent with the other development in the area."

Shively responded that the Castle Commons apartments will be priced at $700 to $1,200 per month. K&E Multifamily expects most of the residents to be medical professionals who would work at nearby hospitals. Shively also hinted that some of the opposition to the project was because of a stereotype of apartment dwellers as "bad people, vandals and such."